1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to computer networks for realtime and non-real-time applications within medical facilities.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many hospitals today are equipped with a hospital information system (HIS) for handling billing, administration, and other business-related matters. Hospitals are also commonly equipped with clinical information systems (CIS) for storing and managing the clinical data of patients. Both types of systems typically operate over a hardwired infrastructure, such as a local area network (LAN).
Hospitals also commonly include special telemetry systems for monitoring the realtime ECG and other physiologic data of patients. Typically, these systems include special wireless transmitters that attach to respective patients, or to the bedside monitors for such patients. Each wireless transmitter transmits the physiologic data of a patient over a wireless channel to a receiving node, which in turn makes the data available for realtime monitoring and viewing on a hardwired monitoring network.
Because of the special requirements associated with handling realtime telemetry data and supporting patient mobility, the hardwired networks used for patient monitoring are normally separate from the networks used for HIS and CIS applications. As a result, the medical facility typically must set up and support two separate computer networks and separate RF networks. Further, existing systems generally do not support wireless access to the HIS, CIS, and other information systems of the hospital LAN.
The present invention seeks to reduce or eliminate these deficiencies while providing new types of wireless applications and services to network users. The invention also provides novel hardware and methods for improving the reliability of wireless LANs.